The 3rd Islamic Solidarity Games starts today in Indonesia. Around 43 nations are participating including Oman. The Omani football team pulled out at the last minute with a statement the gist being they were too tired and were saving up for another football tournament (kind of disappointing). It has also been reported there was some type of dissension between the Omani Olympic Committee and the OFA (Oman Football Association). Lest we not forget FIFA put out a press release threatening to suspend the OFA last year due to their operational practices. However, Oman has other athletes set to compete in other sports such as athletics and volleyball. Best of luck to the Omani athletes.

This is really only the 2nd competitive Islamic Solidarity Games not the 3rd as the 2nd 'Games'scheduled for 2009 in Iran was cancelled. Despite the 'Games' motto being 'harmony in unity' and the word 'solidarity' used in the official name of the games, the Iranian games never took place because of a spat between Arabs and Iranians on what to call the 'Persian Gulf' or 'Arabian Gulf' (depending on your perspective) in official 'Games' literature and logo design. Many of the countries' participants scheduled to compete in the Iranian games were from Asia or Africa not even from the Middle East. Besides all of this lack of coming together, I hope Oman can do something and win a few in this year's Solidarity Games.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Today, Gulf News put out an article reporting on how Talib Mamari, an Omani Shura Council member and another elected local Municipality member have been in jail with out bail since late August over their alleged 'participation' in the anti-pollution demonstration in Liwa.

Mr. Mamari claims he was there only to calm people down. He even has immunity as a Shura member but as far as we know has been lock-up due to some type of exception of being 'at the crime scene'. This protest was attended by members of the Liwa community and local tribes including ladies (not just a few hooligans) as cry for help to the fact that they are being sickened by the surrounding pollution. There are Royal directives in place to help the citizens regarding the issue but the directives seem not to have been fully implemented yet for whatever reasons.

These actions of locking-up elected officials over a 'pollution demonstration' attended by ladies and children create an appearance to the outside world that does not seem to fit a country with a reputation of being signaled out for the most improved country status in the Human Development Report by the UN in 2010 given improved life expectancy and health was one of the areas in which Oman excelled in the report. The opening of this report reiterates, “People are the real wealth of a nation.”

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Ahlam a famous Emirati singer and who is also a judge on Arab Idol travelled to Oman to perform at a high profile wedding of a member of the Al Mashani tribe from Salalah. It's rumored she was paid around 70,000 OMR. One of Ahlam's most popular songs is 'Ohhbuk Mot' (I love you very much). In 2003, she married Mubarak Al Hajri a car racer from Qatar. Apparently, she twitted she was heading to the wedding in Salalah.

Ahlam in Oman

Tweets about the wedding. She says she is on the way to the wedding # busaidi #salalah#oman# 1000 congratulations.// got to the party#..the wedding is 'completely majestic'#name of bride#Salalah#Oman

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Pattaya One reported that a 32 year-old Omani man was stabbed in the belly by a employee of a bar on September 11, 2013. It was reported the larger-framed Omani dominated the petit Thai man, but the Thai man retreated, then, pulled a knife. The Omani is alive and recuperating in the hospital. We hope to see him back in Oman soon.

Last August, an American was stabbed and killed with metal poles by a Thai music group in Krabi, Thailand when he refused to stop singing while drunk on the band's stage. As one may know and feel reassured by, the risk of being stabbed by a music group in Oman is rather unlikely due to the new tourism regulations of no more than three 'talented artists' in no less than four star plus establishments.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Today two Omani fighter jets collided in Rakyoot near the Yemeni border during exercises. One of the RAFO pilot from Nizwa died, and the other from Al Hamra was injured. Allah yarhamhoom wa yugamid roohahom phi al janah. Ameen (May God rest his soul).

Recently, Al Amerat, an area of Muscat, experienced three days without water due to problems with 'pipes'. Keep in mind Oman has a desert climate. People were forced to have water delivered by big blue water tankers.